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Fenugreek is a Mediterranean herb that is popular for its bittersweet taste, interesting smell, and ability to help nursing mothers produce breast milk. Doubtless, this herb has several nutritional benefits as it has been used as traditional herbal medicine in several countries through the centuries. It thrives in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Egypt and France, and is widely used in China. Some of the medicinal uses of fenugreek are the following:
Fenugreek is used as a digestive aid. Although scientific proof for the efficacy of herbal supplements may be hard to come by, fenugreek has been observed to be very helpful in reducing intestinal gas, intestinal pains, bloating, and diarrhea. It generally soothes and detoxifies the intestines. After suffering from diarrhea, patients claim that eating fenugreek seeds or drinking fenugreek tea helps in restoring the digestive system to its normal functions.
In India, people regularly swallow raw fenugreek seeds, or as they call it, “methi”, with warm water to relieve themselves from constipation.
Fenugreek has other medicinal uses. Most notably, the herb has been observed to control blood sugar level. When used, people suffering from diabetes have observed improvement in glucose tolerance and a decrease in the severity of diabetic symptoms and the need for insulin. Test studies have been conducted to prove that fenugreek does decrease cholesterol levels in people, although all prior scientific tests have been inconclusive thus far.
Also, according to other research studies, fenugreek may at times help in lowering cholesterol. This, however, is not a popular use of the herb since there are other herbs, such as turmeric, ginger and olive leaves that can better lower cholesterol.
In addition to these, fenugreek is also used for the relief of any discomfort or pain from too much coughing, sore throat, and ulcers, and even treat skin irritations. Recently, it is also said that the detoxifying effects of fenugreek to the intestines can counter anorexia.
Generally, there are no scientific studies so far that can support all the medical benefits of fenugreek. Nonetheless, since there is also no known grave side effect from fenugreek, so it is a safe, healthy habit to consume its leaves and seeds regularly. In India, people consume fenugreek early in the morning and before going to sleep (which, some postulate, is probably why there are very few cases of arthritis in India).
Meanwhile, there are other reasons to use fenugreek. For one, it is a popular ingredient to making delicious Mediterranean curry. Known for their aromatic, powerful and bittersweet flavor, fenugreek seeds are crushed and mixed with other spices such as cumin, coriander seed, and chili, to make curry paste and used for any kind of meat. Fenugreek is more commonly used with chicken meat, as it goes very well with poultry.
And perhaps most popular among the many uses of fenugreek, both using its leaves and seeds, is when taken as herbal tea. Fenugreek tea is both medicinal and good to the taste. It is very aromatic and flavorful either as cold or hot tea. Fenugreek seeds are typically steeped for a long time, about 3 hours at least, to make it most nutritious and savory.
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